England beware, it is high time the real France cut loose again

Mick Cleary

Pascal Pape of France and Chris Robshaw of England pose for a photo during the Six Nations Launch. Photo: Getty Images

Beware the French. It has been quiet, too damned quiet. There is talk of respect, humility, conciliation, and it does not sit well. France have made much of their internal woes, of scare stories of the market being flooded by overseas imports, of the battering endured by the rigours of Top 14 and of the loss to injury of the nonpareil Thierry Dusautoir. Well, enough.

They looked in pretty good shape on a fleeting visit to the south of France last week, at ease au bord de la Med, enjoying their first-ever pre-Six Nations respite with the match-day squad excused domestic duties this past weekend, unlike Sergio Parisse, the Italy captain and Stade Francais No.8, or Racing Metro's Jonny Sexton, who were among the travelling band of foreigners obliged to play in the Top 14 matches.

Instead the likes of Mathieu Bastareaud and Wesley Fofana could hone their midfield partnership, Thomas Domingo and Nicolas Mas their timing at the scrummage, Louis Picamoles his pick-up-and-drive from the base, the long-striding Yoann Huget his interventions from the rear, Yannick Nyanga his pilfering at the breakdown. You get tche picture. The cockerel is stretching its larynx.

These are players who can stand comparison with any in the championship. This is the rump of a side who have troubled New Zealand. The All Blacks fear few sides in the world. With France, there is always a wary look in Kiwi eyes. They recognise danger and they acknowledge the deep-rooted rugby instincts that can make mischief and mayhem against any opposition.

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Factor in, too, a little statistical superstition that France have won the title on the past four occasions following a British and Irish Lions tour, in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010, two of them Grand Slams. So often, the impact of a Lions tour is felt six months later as weariness and the absence of a full pre-season training takes its toll.

All of which makes England's match at the Stade de France the seminal fixture of the 2014 Six Nations Championship. It is not that long ago that the organisers dabbled with the notion of gerrymandering the schedule so that the France v England game was always the climax to the tournament. Television executives drove that little canard for all it was worth, chasing ratings and undermining a sacred sporting occasion. The contrivance did not last long.

Yet the opener on Saturday is a real drawcard. It will set the tone for this year's Six Nations. It will tell us much about Stuart Lancaster's side, whether they have backbone and serious World Cup 2015 pretensions, and it will indicate if France have emerged from the championship torpor of the past two years.

All praise to the exploits of Wales and Ireland in recent years, with Grand Slams and championships to their name. The pedigree of their achievement is shown in the impact they had on the Lions in Australia last summer. These are classy individuals, and their titles were merited.

Yet there is something amiss with the tournament when France are so poor. They offer a point of difference in these monocultural times. They carry with them a whiff of menace, of meltdown, too, although the wild and beastly exploits of the Nineties are long behind them. Whatever your colours, and the Six Nations remains a gloriously tribal affair, the romantic within us all yearns to see a France side at full tilt. There is no finer sight in world rugby, unless you happen to be in the opposition defence.

All this is a wish as well as a whim. It is hard to predict with certainty what we will get from Philippe Saint-Andre's men.

The beauty of this year's championship is that it looks evenly balanced. Even the two teams who habitually bring up the rear, Scotland and Italy, carry with them the possibility of trouble.

Scotland have a pack of forwards who will stand their ground although they need to check out the DNA of an Andy Irvine, John Rutherford or the Hastings brothers to infuse their back line with some creative, try-scoring potency.

Italy, too, have added a bit of edge to their attack to complement their customary resilience. The decline of their sides in the Heineken Cup is a worry, but any team with Parisse at the helm will not lack for fight.

Ireland are an enigma. They ought to have delivered more over the past seven or eight years but have only the 2009 Grand Slam to their name. The man who will grab the headlines, especially with Wales's Lions coach, Warren Gatland, headed there next week, will be Brian O'Driscoll, on his Sachin Tendulkar-like swansong season. In fact, the most influential figure will not be the retiring O'Driscoll but the emerging Joe Schmidt, the new man in charge. There were glimpses of what the former Leinster head coach brings to a team in Ireland's thrilling escapade against the All Blacks.

Once again, Wales have to rise above domestic turmoil although their resources look stretched. England, meanwhile, have to grow their attack if they are to continue progressing.

There is no doubt that the southern hemisphere holds all the trump cards when it comes to quality of play. Yet they cannot hold a candle to the colour, pageantry and empathy of the Six Nations Championship. There is a sense of belonging in the old tournament that excites us all. And for that we are eternally grateful.